Hold Zanu PF accountable: Biti

BULAWAYO - Former Finance minister Tendai Biti has accused President Robert Mugabe’s ruling Zanu PF of crimes against humanity in its three decades-plus rule.

Biti, who was the guest of honour here on Monday at the on-going Africa Day roundtable organised by Bulawayo Agenda, said Zanu PF had a case to answer.

“Zanu PF must be held accountable for the crimes against humanity that they have committed against the people of Zimbabwe,” Biti said.

“This is not populism. I mean it from the bottom of my heart. Three generations, we are churning out 300 000 graduates every year, where are they? They are waiters in South Africa and others are cleaning old women in the United Kingdom. Someone must be surely held to account.”

Asked whether he felt pity for his successor Patrick Chinamasa who appears to be struggling to bring sanity to the country’s dire financial situation, Biti said: “I don’t feel pity for a group of people who actually spend every day planning for the lot of Africans to suffer more. You hear politburo meetings lasted 12 hours, (President Robert) Mugabe went home to sleep at 3am discussing no development, no jobs but how to fire the Gamatox and no progress.”

The former mainstream MDC secretary general, who now leads the splinter MDC Renewal Team, said Zanu PF was clueless on how to turn around the fortunes of Zimbabwe.

He accused the former liberation party for having warped priorities.

“Zanu PF’s problem is ‘fiscalitis’ — the disease that assumes that money grows on trees. They spend and spend oblivious of where the money comes from. The supply side of the economy is dead. Why? Because they have killed the production sector through wrong policies, that of intimidation, like the Indigenisation and Empowerment Act.”

He said while generally other countries had similar policies, it was the high level of mistrust that has seen many foreign investors rather preferring to stay away from Zimbabwe.

Biti said Zimbabwe was one of the three countries in Africa that had unsustainable debt levels. He added that others were Sudan and Somalia in a clear sign of deliberate economic mismanagement by their leaders.

“Disappointingly, the greater part of the debt was an odious debt, meaning the money spent buying arms, tear gas and used to oppress and repress people,” Biti said.

The former Finance minister, who recently spent a month at one of America’s top independent think tanks, accused Zanu PF of investing in wrong things at the expense of what he termed thought leadership.

“Part of the reason why we are where we are now is because we don’t invest in thought leadership,” he said.

“As if that is not enough, we also celebrate foolish people, our heroes are the (Philip) Chiyangwas of this world, when talking of young Turks you talk about the (Saviour) Kasukuweres, idiots.

“We celebrate tomfoolery, we don’t celebrate thought leadership.”

He insisted that Zimbabwe had “very sharp people” who can take Zimbabwe forward.

Comments (23)

This what we had missed from Biti, sharp shooting, straight talk and to the point. No big words, no political meandering, just boom from the hip. However great this speech is, Biti and others must not fall into the same problem of intolerance, I am convinced that Tsvangarai has failed as a leader, but surely this lack of cohesion among opposition forces is killing us. We need a united opposition no matter the personalities. Find a way to coalesce around a common purpose.

tino16 - 27 May 2015

While it is understandable for Biti to express his views the way he has been doing since August 2013, it is rather sad for him to rubbish empowerment as a policy. There is no alternative to empowerment . All aspiring leaders need basic regional development courses for proper understanding of issues .

Jonsina - 27 May 2015

Prove that Morgan has failed . Even zanu know this guy is tough as they failed to destroy his party the way they did to zapu , zumu ,forum , zanu ndonga . If you hate the guy do not say he has failed . It is cowards who only blame others without giving a solution .Biti is a pikinin just making unproductive noise .

Diibulaanyika - 27 May 2015

I agree with you Tino 16, and Biti is right too, we have so many bright intellectuals and very innovative people including Biti himself who can pull the country out of this mess but still Biti should be honest enough and admit to being faulty, I mean the guy breaks away at crucial time like that? He will never be like the same same Biti we knew from the real MDC. Like one great philosopher said "Destruction of the Soul is vanity".

redemption - 27 May 2015

Thank you @redemption for your comments. @Diibulaanyika, while it is understandable that the reflex reaction when we criticize leadership is to be defensive, I still think it is worth our while to note when they err. Morgan has had a few missteps, surely we can not just bury our heads in the sand and say Ncube, Biti and now Madhuku all are wrong? Morgan has had to deal with a lot of ZANU-PF trickery but he has scored many an own goal himself. I agree that Biti left at a terrible time, and should have stuck with it. Maybe try to internally dialogue and resolve issues. Seeking political power for the sake of power can be and is dangerous. Zimbabwe has many gifted and talented people but there is no space for them to thrive. I applaud all that are in the arena, fighting despite their own shortcomings. You have my utmost respect Morgan, Welshman, Lovemore, Simba, Dumiso etc. We need you and we applaud.

tino16 - 27 May 2015

@tino do not be vague say exactly what are the mistakes that Morgan has made . All these other leaders you mentioned here are sellout who privately go to bad with zanu and taht is why you never hear zanu insulting them only Morgan why ? He has refused to sell out simple as that . These other leaders baba are zanu informers Biti included and zanu is never scared of him bcoz he is just like nkuku to them as you know nkuku is harmless domestic bird .

Diibulaanyika - 27 May 2015

all i can say at the moment is that people must register to vote and wait for 2018. when we are going to see our new zimbabwe

gumbo - 27 May 2015

KIKIKI, NThe idiot called Biti, if graduates are waiters in S.A , its because of their degrees, maybe they were doing food and nutrition or Law like yourself and not Engineering.

reason - 27 May 2015

@reason you are silly. If u did engineering like u seem to be saying, u would still not de-mean other proffessions

s shumba - 27 May 2015

Diburanyika you not arranged in mind you are human khakhi(tsvina). If you hero- warship Tsvangy to a stage that you can not see that his policy is only to remove Mugabe Period!

hobo - 27 May 2015

tiri kuda action not words action action chete

nyanga - 27 May 2015

all these accusations do not help us, this is an indication of people who have run out of ideas to give to the electorate, that is why a edge everyone to go for real change, it is time for PF ZAPU, and lets rally behind this stable party that holds hope for all in this country, tribal, and racial differences aside lets rally behind ZAPU, it is the hope for the people and the future

Tsvangirai never failed. He is as tough as teak. He is the only guy who has made Mugabe and ZANU PF see red. If someone steals elections you win is marked as failure then what will be success measured from

dollarman - 27 May 2015

@redemption Never worry about this hobo whose mother conceived him after a threesome with some vagrants on the banks of mukuvisi river . He does not know what we are talking about here bcoz he is always intoxicated by shiit .

Diibulaanyika - 28 May 2015

Its always surprising to see the number of people who are willing to believe anything . Its well known that these Bitis Ncubes etc are in ZANU's pockets yet we have morons shouting about Morgan's failings?!! Morgan has had election after election stolen from him by Bobo, yet he continues to fight for the ordinary Zimbo Morgan is there to get rid of ZANU, these others are there to go to bed with the ZANU monster. Wake up Zimbos, stay solid behind the only legit forc fighting for our rights and don't be fooled by these prophets of doom

Muzungu Moyo - 28 May 2015

Guy there is a saying which says the dogs that bucks too much doesn't , bite , Biti is a failure like what the other guy said if Bit was serious he should have stayed in the big tent and fight the one enemy which is Zanu Pf but because of money and power hungry they sold the peoples project , thou we can call Morgan names he has stood his head up . What Biti said is true but he has sold out , if he is serious and not confused why can't he march to state house and let his supporters follow , this guy is confused one day he says Zanu Pf won the election another day he says they have rigged so can he be a leader who changes statements like that, Tsvangirai is sticking to his one statement of electoral fraud . He is blasting Zanu now last year he was representing Gono and Gono is Zanu Pf , this is were you see that Biti is greed and has sold out because water and oil don't mix

Mudhara - 28 May 2015

this biti guy is just a sell out...he should have not left the party. if a roof is leaking, i was taught to repair the leak, not to run away from the house. he is right in what he said in this article but i will never ever trust or vote for him coz anorasisa electorate. right now his seat is being contested and that give zpf the adv of numbers....

well - 28 May 2015

What is the rationale behind MDC- T's desion to snub the forthcoming June 6 election. I am currently failing to buy into the idea. Please enlight some of us.

Amai Mandigona - 29 May 2015

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